Banana Factory

Guiding the clay with her fingers as it spun on the wheel, instructor Liz Wheeler stretched the clay cylindrically, higher and higher. "I'm still breathing and keeping my fingers the same distance apart and not squeezing," the Bethlehem resident says. Squeeze too tightly and the clay will distort. Take your eyes off the clay and it will spin out of control. It's a bit like life. "The clay tells you you are losing your focus," Wheeler says. "It is teaching you to stay centered, grounded, to maintain concentration. That's what throwing requires of you. As you develop more skills you are able to throw better because you're able to sit and...